Ancient Philosophy (Advanced Studies)

Teacher(s)

Destrée Pierre; Machek David (compensates Destrée Pierre);

Language

English

Prerequisites

The course assumes a basic knowledge of the history of ancient philosophy.
Knowledge of Latin and Greek, while very useful, is not essential.

Main themes

The course in the history of ancient philosophy will seek to deepen the knowledge of the period concerned, starting with a given theme or corpus. The course will pay particular attention to the genesis and development of the chosen subject and, based on up-to-date research, will attempt to shed light on this subject and to advance the questions related to it.
The historical scope of this course ranges from Early Antiquity to Late Antiquity.
The course will focus on bodies of work and problems from the Greek and Roman traditions of thought, both comparatively and otherwise.
The systematic field will not be restrictive, since the course may focus simultaneously or alternatively on problems of theoretical or practical philosophy.
Particular attention will be paid to research tools and translation issues.

Content

This year, the course will be dedicated to the ethics of Greek and Roman Stoicism. In the first part of the course, we shall explore its context, both with regard to the entirety of the Stoic system of which it is a part, and with regard to its most important philosophical sources, with special attention to its Socratic and Cynic roots. The second part will be dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the main principles of the Stoic ethics and their application to specific practical problems, such as suicide, begetting children, or the choice of vocation. While assuming a historically informed and charitable interpretative approach, we shall also take the liberty to assess the Stoic ethical system for its coherence and cogency. In the final sessions, we shall also compare and contrast ancient Stoic ethics with contemporary neo-Stoic approaches.  

Teaching methods

A combination of lecture and discussions of primary and secondary texts. 

Evaluation methods

Continuous evaluation (to conclude in January 2025). Attention: The validation of the course will only be possible once per academic year.
The evaluation will be based on: 

• Three short written tests concerning a specific test or problem discussed in the previous lessons. The tests will take place on the October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. 
• Either: an essay about a specific problem in the Stoic ethics (approximately 10 pages). 

OR

•      A term project, consisting in developing and testing in your everyday life a practical curriculum for living like a stoic. You will present a written report of your experience (3-5 pages).
• Preparation (of readings) and participation mark. 

Weighing
tests (30%), essay / term project (50%), participation / preparation (20%) 
You have to pass (at least 10 out of 20) at least two of the three tests in order to pass the entire course. 
 

Online resources

The syllabus and all readings will be available on Moodle. 

Faculty or entity

> EFIL